Mob attacks U.S. ambassador in Syria

1of 3AFP/GETTY IMAGES
EGGS, TOMATOES, ROCKS: This still photo taken from a pro-government television video shows Syrians attacking a U.S. Embassy vehicle in Damascus on Thursday.Photo: -

2of 3Syrian policemen guard the entrance to the office of Hassan Abdul-Azim, head of the outlawed Arab Socialist Democratic Union party, after supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad pelted US Ambassador Robert Ford with eggs and tomatoes as he was enter Abdul-Azim's office, in Damascus, Syria, on Thursday Sept. 29, 2011. Assad supporters pelted the U.S. ambassador to Syria with eggs and tomatoes Thursday as he entered an office for a meeting with a leading opposition figure and then tried to storm the building in the capital Damascus, the opposition activist said. Ambassador Robert Ford, an outspoken critic of Assad's crackdown on the 6-month-old anti-government uprising, was trapped in the office for about three hours until Syria security forces showed up and escorted him out. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)Photo: Bassem Tellawi

3of 3Eggs seen on the ground that were pelted by supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad against the US Ambassador, Robert Ford when he entered the office of an opposition member Hassan Abdul-Azim, in Damascus, Syria, on Thursday Sept. 29, 2011. Abdul-Azim, who heads the outlawed Arab Socialist Democratic Union party, told The Associated Press, Ambassador Robert Ford was meeting with him in Damascus when the Assad supporters tried to force their way in, breaking some door locks. Office staff prevented them from rushing in. Ford has been an outspoken critic of Assad's crackdown on an uprising against his rule. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)Photo: Bassem Tellawi

BEIRUT - Angry supporters of President Bashar Assad's regime hurled eggs and tomatoes at the U.S. ambassador to Syria on Thursday as he entered the office of a leading opposition figure and then tried to break into the building, trapping him inside for three hours.

The Obama administration blamed the Syrian government for the attack in Damascus, saying it was part of an ongoing, orchestrated campaign to intimidate American diplomats in the country. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton condemned the attack as "wholly unjustified."

Ambassador Robert Ford, an outspoken critic of Assad's crackdown on the 6-month-old revolt against his regime, has angered Syrian authorities before by showing support for the uprising.

The latest incident promises to raise tensions even further.

Both sides point fingers

Ford came under attack by about 100 Assad supporters as he arrived for the meeting with Hassan Abdul-Azim, who heads the outlawed Arab Socialist Democratic Union party. Abdul-Azim is a strong critic of Assad's regime and was briefly detained by authorities earlier this year.

Such incidents are usually not spontaneous in Syria, and Thursday's attack came amid high tension between the two nations, as well as accusations by Damascus that Washington is inciting violence in the country.

The protesters were ready with tomatoes and eggs when the delegation arrived, and threw them at the Americans as they entered the building.

In Washington, the State Department said a rowdy, violent mob tried to attack Ford and several American Embassy employees in Damascus.

Spokesman Mark Toner said Ford and his colleagues were unharmed and are now safe.

However, several heavily armored embassy vehicles sent to help extricate them from the situation were badly damaged with broken windows and dents when the same crowd hurled rocks, White House and State Department officials said.

Intimidation alleged

"This inexcusable assault is clearly part of ongoing campaign of intimidation aimed at diplomats … who are raising questions about what is going on inside Syria," Clinton said. "It reflects an intolerance on the part of the regime and its supporters."